The present invention is directed to a new foil which may be applied to a substrate and thereafter have embossed thereon a holographic image or diffraction grating image and printing over said holographic image or diffraction grating image and to a method of forming and using.
The prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,690 of David R. Boswell discloses a foil of a composite sheet suitable for having directly applied thereto a holographic image or diffraction grating image immediately following transfer of such composite sheet from a carrier film to a substrate to which such composite sheet is adhered. Under that invention, the composite sheet is releasably affixed to a carrier film of polyester, polypropylene or similar material and has an adhesive layer on the surface opposite the carrier film. The composite sheet of such prior invention may be transferred by heat stamping the combined composite sheet and carrier film against a substrate to which it is desired to have the composite sheet or a small portion thereof affixed. A heated die engages the carrier film urging the composite sheet into firm engagement with the substrate. Heat from the heated die causes the adhesive layer of the composite sheet to become activated and thereby adhesively engage the composite sheet to the substrate. The heated die also causes the composite sheet portion engaged by the heated die to separate from the carrier film thereby leaving a metal layer of such composite sheet exposed for engagement by a shim bearing a holographic image or diffraction grating image. The shim, carried by a second heated die, engages the metal layer directly; however, it is possible that there will be some residue of a wax if the composite sheet were provided with a wax release coating between the layer of metal and the carrier sheet. The shim bearing the holographic image or diffraction grating image embosses such image into the metal layer and the underlying lacquer layer of the composite sheet adhered to the substrate.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,674,580, 5,643,678 and 5,653,349 are directed to modifications to the invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,690.
Under the invention disclosed in the parent application Ser. No. 09/593,846, there is provided a modified composite sheet having a construction permitting the direct application of such composite sheet to a substrate and, if desired, simultaneous embossing of a holographic image or diffraction grating image to such composite sheet engaged to the substrate without the necessity of removing a carrier film therefrom. The composite sheet and method of the present invention eliminate the step of transferring the composite sheet from a carrier film to the substrate as the composite sheet of the present invention does not require use of a releasable carrier film. The construction of the composite sheet of the present invention is such as to permit the embossing of a holographic image or diffraction grating image without the necessity of first separating the composite sheet from a carrier film. The composite sheet of the present invention is particularly advantageous for those situations in which it is desired to supply the composite sheet for interfacial engagement to the substrate in the form of a discrete sheet or section as opposed to being supplied from a roll. It can be provided in relatively large sizes, for example, on the order of 40 inches by 60 inches.
The present continuation-in-part application includes improved embodiments of construction of the composite sheet and method of forming and use. The composite sheet of the present invention has the capability of being adhered to a substrate by heating, pressing or stamping without the necessity of removing the plastic film carrier and having a holographic image embossed therein, either prior to or during the step of heat, pressing or stamping or in a separate operation at a different time. The composite sheet having been adhered to a substrate and having embossed thereon a holographic image or diffraction grating image can further be color printed, UPC bar coded, consecutively numbered and/or cut to size in registration to the embossed holographic image.